Coach safe, but worried about this football team’

Saturday

Oct 24, 2009 at 12:01 AMOct 24, 2009 at 8:18 AM

It’s hard to say who had a rougher day.

Illinois athletics director Ron Guenther attempted to avoid the media after leaking his decision to keep Ron Zook as football coach next year before finally stepping foward at halftime to back his coach.

JOHN SUPINIE

It’s hard to say who had a rougher day.

Illinois athletics director Ron Guenther attempted to avoid the media after leaking his decision to keep Ron Zook as football coach next year before finally stepping foward at halftime to back his coach.

Then Zook and his Illini finished off Saturday with a 24-14 loss at Purdue for the ninth consecutive defeat to major-college teams.

“The question that’s come up and continues to come up is if there is a change,” Guenther said at halftime, just outside the door to a luxury suite. “Let’s just put one thing to rest. There will be some changes, but there won’t be a change at the top. There’s a great deal of frustration obviously with the program at the moment.

“We’ll still evaluate, but it’s really unfair to start jumping at the end of the fifth year on the guy. We’ll sit down and evaluate, but there’s no decision at the top.”

Through a department spokesman earlier last week, Guenther said he would evaluate the team throughout the season before announcing a decision. His decision leaked to the Big Ten Network’s Glen Mason, Guenther then attempted to sidestep the media prior to the game. When cornered, Guenther first chose to decline comment.

“Glen is my friend,” Guenther said of the former Minnesota head coach and Illini assistant. Mason is now a football analyst with the league’s network, which returns profits to each university in the Big Ten.

If Guenther wanted to sell his decision to Illini fans, it likely went over about as well as Illinois’ latest performance. The Illini did score first in a game against a major-college foe for the first time this season while making a series of changes — including the first playing time for redshirt freshman quarterback Jacob Charest — but Illinois eventually fell behind 21-7 in the second quarter.

Illinois (1-6, 0-5) hosts Michigan next week. The Illini made a handful of changes, such as moving Eddie McGee from quarterback to receiver, starting Nate Bussey at linebacker and playing cornerback Terry Hawthorne on the team’s first defensive series.

“I’m not worried about me,” Zook said. “I’m worried about this football team. They’re going to do what they’re going to do. It’s a profession. I appreciate (Guenther’s support) obviously. I said it since the day I walked onto this campus, he’s the best thing about this job. He understands.

“On the same token, I understand he’s got a job to do as well. We’re going to get this thing the way it’s supposed to be.”

Zook is 19-36 as Illinois coach, and he is contracted through the 2013 season at $1.5 million per year after Guenther extended the contract in July. The buyout is $1.3 million per season, Illinois team spokesman Kent Brown said, even though the contract released by the university indicated it was closer to $1.1 million.

While Zook’s return is controversial outside the locker room, the Illini know any positive impression left on Zook could lead to more playing time later this season or next.

“A lot of guys want to play harder so coach would look at them, so coach would have a good view of them playing,” Charest said. “It’s turned into a little audition.”

Charest entered the game in the second quarter and played sporadically after getting his first significant practice snaps of the season. Charest learned he would play last Sunday. “(I) went basically this whole year until this week with very little reps’’ in practice,” he said.

“It was a decision if we were going to start him or bring him in,” Zook said. “With the pressure on him with the situation we’re in, it was better to bring him in the second or third series. He knew that. Juice knew that. I thought he did a nice job. It was pretty hard to be thrown into that situation.”

Late in the first half, Charest guided Illinois from its 31-yard line to the Purdue 2 by completing a 31-yard pass on fourth down to tight end Hubie Graham. But Charest was pulled in favor of starter Juice Williams. After a two-yard touchdown run by Arrelious Benn was called back on a holding penalty, Williams threw two incomplete passes. The half ended on a missed field goal attempt from 23 yards out by Matt Eller, leaving the Boilers with a 21-7 lead.

Purdue (3-5, 2-2) won back-to-back games for the first time since taking the 2007 Motor City Bowl and the season opener last year.

“We only had two wins, so we didn’t to get all fat and sassy,’’ Purdue coach Danny Hope said. “We came out in the second half and shut them down defensively.’’

ILLINI ITEMS: Illinois hasn’t won here since 1993. The Illini’s five-game losing streak to Purdue is their longest in the series. ... Illinois sophomore placekicker Derek Dimke scored the first point of is career by kicking a third-quarter extra point. Dimke, who handles kickoffs, replaced Matt Eller after a missed 23-yard field goal. Dimke would have attempted the next field goal, coach Ron Zook said. ... Juice Williams broke the school record for starts by a quarterback with his 40th.